


Something Borrowed

by longmire



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:04:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7247722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longmire/pseuds/longmire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weddings are a great place to meet people, especially when your friends are getting hitched. Carmilla has had more than her fair share of heartbreaks and is ready to get lost in a world of photography and coffee when she stumbles on the hurricane that is Laura Hollis. Love is a patient and elusive mistress, but a force to be reckoned with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ready Yet?

**Author's Note:**

> Born from several writing prompts and some props from "Imagine Me & You", without needing to break up a marriage.

Mornings were the worst.  
  
Carmilla’s forearm was thrown over her eyes, groaning loudly to the bedroom as her sister dashed out in a haze of blue. The lightbulb in the middle of the ceiling blared its good mornings to the body that had been sleeping only a few moments before.  
  
Needless to say, happy she wasn’t.  
  
But not necessarily angry either.  
  
She hovered between awake and asleep, in that dull lifeless state that existed separating the planes of consciousness. For those few moments it was delicious not to be reminded that her body needed to move out from under the comforter.  
  
Mattie was busy, incredibly busy, with her business and that meant Carmilla was busy, most of the time. When she wasn’t off on an adventure somewhere, which was hardly ever these days, or spending the day wrapped up in bed with her endless supply of books that were threatening to spill from the shelves at any moment.  
  
This morning was one such occasion.  
  
The raven haired girl fought every instinct she had to not get up, flip off the light and climb back into the tangle of sheets. Instead, she dragged herself from the comfortable bed and through the door, glaring at her sister with everything she could muster. If she could have set her on fire with a look she would have. The thought of Mattie patting down her perfect dress, putting out a tiny flame brought the tiniest of hints of a smile to her lips.  
  
A mug of coffee was thrust into her waiting hands immediately. Mattie made a face and tilted her head to the side. Carmilla knew that look intimately. She’d been on the receiving end of it on too many occasions now.  
  
“Come now, darling, you weren’t going to rise on your own and we need to get going to be there before any of party show up.”  
  
She made a shooing motion towards the mug.  
  
“Drink up.”  
  
Carmilla exhaled and lifted the mug to her lips, taking a short sip of the burning black drink and blew at the stray bangs falling into her face. Expecting her to be all sweet and joyful after just waking her up with the brightest of lights? It just wasn’t going to happen. Mattie couldn’t be that deluded. Even with their track record. Delusions were still not the realm of the sane.  
  
“No one is going to be there before 9am.”  
  
Mattie breezed past her, back into Carmilla’s bedroom and to the wardrobe, throwing open the doors with a flourish only she could have without trying, and started to root through the contents for something specific. Carmilla frowned. Probably. Something she had dreamt that Carmilla owned, or something one of her girlfriend’s had owned that had stuck in her sister’s mind. That was more than likely. It wasn’t like that demon was going to come riding back in on the black horse of Hell and claim her clothes back any time soon.  
  
“You would be surprised. It’s usually the mothers, panicking about everything.” She made a face and turned back to her sister. “Do you own anything that isn’t black?”  
  
Carmilla cocked an eyebrow, drinking more of the coffee, feeling happier to be awake.  
  
“My clothes will be fine; will you relax already?”  
  
“Not until today is over. Then I’ll happily kick back in a bathtub with a glass of champagne while you do whatever it is you do after these events,” Mattie replied, bringing out a white button down shirt and a familiar pair of black suit trousers, hooking the hanger on the back of the door. The matching jacket would still be in the wardrobe.  
  
Rolling her eyes, Carmilla put the mug down on the nearest stable surface and stretched her arms above her head, the bedtime tank top riding up. She cracked her neck to the side, eliciting a shudder from her sister, then another gasp of indignation as each vertebra crinkled under the strain. It was delightful. Carmilla could purr like a kitten.  
  
“Shower, shave and whatever it is you do in there,” she waved her hand at the bathroom door. “Breakfast will be on the table in fifteen minutes and we leave in half an hour. Don’t let me down, Kitty.”  
  
“Do I ever?”  
  
Carmilla smiled, despite herself, as Mattie tapped her little sister on the chin and breezed past her, closing the bedroom door with a flourish.  
  
The older sister had acted more like a mother since they had moved into the city. She wasn’t overbearing all the time, but when the mood took her she could be positively controlling. She loved to have fun. Before the fun came the work, and she liked to work hard. She’d built up her empire out of a few hundred dollars and her ever charming personality.  
  
Her little sister, on the other hand, had excelled in university, finishing with a degree she was exceedingly proud of and was now making her living doing exactly what she wanted to, alongside helping Mattie when she could. Which seemed to be every weekend now. Carmilla couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the time to take her bike out on the road and just go somewhere, without having to be back for work the next morning.  
  
She stripped as she moved through her bedroom to the adjoining bathroom and climbed into the shower, delighted that the water was warm and the soap smelled almost like midnight. Almost.  
  
  
\--  
  
  
On the other side of the city, a light flicked on in an otherwise dark bedroom and a loud squeak came from the bed in the middle as another body jumped seemingly from the door to the bed. Laura went into Krav Maga mode and immediately flailed at the assailant, all the pent up aggression inside the tiny ball of rage accompanying it with an equally terrifying scream.  
  
Or she would have, if sleep wasn’t still settled on her vocal chords, the noise slipping out of her like a strangled screech. A poked puppy would have made more noise.  
  
LaFontaine laughed loudly, pummeling the smaller girl through the covers, playfully going for the tickle as Laura tried vainly to fight them off. Definitely vainly.  
  
“LAF! LAF! You better STOP that right NOW!”

They ignored her pleas of protest and instead gripped her head in a headlock, rubbing their knuckles on her crown before jumping away from the bed as quickly as they’d jumped onto it, narrowly avoiding a flailing fist. Like an Olympic acrobat, they landed on the floor without a stumble and knocked on the nightstand loudly.  
  
“Come on, Hollis, get your ass up! Today’s the day!”  
  
Sleep was still struggling through on Laura’s face, and it took more than she would like to admit for the words uttered by her friend fully gripped hold of her consciousness - then it immediately gave way to another strangle scream, the tiny gay leaping up from the bed and jumping down to hug her friend who narrowly caught her, steadying on the nightstand before it toppled over.  
  
“Oh my GOD! You haven’t been waiting for me, have you? I’m late, I know I’m late, we’re going to be late…”  
  
LaF lifted their hand, along with an eyebrow, ceasing the tirade of words falling from Laura’s frantic lips. They stepped back slightly and indicating to their pajamas, still quite affixed to their body. Minion pajamas at that. Their look of amusement was evident.  
  
“You’re good, just get up. I made pancakes aaaaaaaand I’ve got some chocolate syrup waiting on the table.”  
  
Laura nodded her head, barely containing the smile that was trying to burst from her face. She was absolutely ecstatic. They had been planning this day for so long and now it was finally here, and she’d overslept already and was her dress even ready? Did she have to go pick it up or was it getting dropped off with the rest of them? Why hadn’t she organized this? Or had she and she couldn’t remember...  
  
Recognizing the internal rant that was no doubt tearing through Laura’s mind, LaF rolled their eyes and grabbed Laura’s shoulder, forcefully marching her like a condemned prisoner, out of the bedroom door and into the apartment’s living area that couldn’t have been able to house less furniture if it tried. City rents and small living spaces. Such a perfect world.  
  
“Come on, you dork. I want my wedding day pancakes to still be warm. You are denying me wedding breakfast.”  
  
Laura rolled her eyes, relinquishing to be pushed along by LaF until she slipped into a readily pulled out chair stool at the island bar and eyed the stack of ridiculously wedding cake shaped pancakes. Where LaF had managed to get a cutter for that from was anyone’s guess.  
  
“You realize this isn’t actually considered your wedding breakfast?”  
  
LaF already had a mouthful of pancake and Laura couldn’t fully understand the retort.  
  
-  
  
Carmilla pulled her black jacket on over her shoulders and went through a mental check of everything she would need to survive the day. Camera, lenses, tripod, already in the car, flash, battery pack, memory cards, lens pens, spare batteries… Everything else would be in the hold all she kept in the back of the jeep. She made a note to rifle through the bag when they got back and to stock up on anything she was getting low on.  
  
Keys!  
  
She patted down her jacket pockets, pants pockets…  
  
Mattie slid out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her and holding out Carmilla’s jeep keys by one of the rings on her finger. “Looking for these?”  
  
Carmilla made a grab for them, trying to remember where she had put them and why they weren’t in her jacket, or on the key rack like they usually were. Her mind went back to the last time she had them, which she didn’t think was the last time she drove.  
  
“Next time you come in drunk, please don’t put your keys in the fridge.”  
  
A smile nearly broke out on Carmilla’s face as she recalled the night before last, and the antics of her friend’s drinking games, leading to a cab home in the early hours and a very hungry young woman stalking the fridge looking for any kind of prey she could get her hands on. She still didn’t understand why the chicken place didn’t deliver in the city; it was big enough! Demand was high! Her tolerance for under developed marketing was low.  
  
“Or your jacket in the oven, for that matter.”  
  
Carmilla shrugged. “It was cold.”  
  
Mattie rolled her eyes. “You defy logic after one too many. Next time I’m locking the door and you can take your drunken trials out on your friends instead.”  
  
The raven haired girl blew her sister a mock kiss and picked up the backpack from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder with a grace and delicate ease cultivated in their family. She opened the front door and held it open for her sister.  
  
“After you, your highness.”  
  
Down in the garage, Mattie pressed the buzzer for the garage door to open and slid into her sleek blue car, slipping her sunglasses onto her face. She rolled down the window as Carmilla threw the backpack into the passenger side of the jeep and beeped her horn to get her attention.  
  
“I’ve got a list for you at the venue. Photographs the bride definitely wants as part of the album,” she slid her sunglasses onto her face. “After that, it’s up to you.”  
  
Carmilla nodded and saluted two fingers from her eyebrow, watching Mattie’s automobile drive sleekly out of the underground garage. She sighed to herself and climbed into the driver’s side, sitting back in the chair for a moment. Across the garage was her bike. She felt a pang of disappointment that this was yet another weekend she wasn’t able to feel the roar of the engine underneath her. Soon, baby. Soon.  
  
She resolved to spending the next weekend in the arms of her bike, on the open road, not knowing where she was going to end up. A break was needed, without a doubt. No weddings to photograph, no bridezillas to seal in everlasting frames for their parent’s wall. Just her, the bike and the open road. That was the dream.  
  
Turning the keys in the ignition, the engine started and the last CD she had in the player started over the speakers. The satnav asked for the address. She didn’t need to put in the details, she knew the place all too well.  
  
She slid her aviators on and pulled out the garage, watching the doors slide shut in the rearview mirror. It was delightfully sunny outside.  
  
A beautiful day for a wedding.  
  
  
-  
  
  
Trying to quell the jumping feeling her stomach, Laura took a few deep breaths and held her hand over her tummy. The material of the dress felt light, thankfully, and she could actually breath in this one. The severe lack of cookies over the last few weeks had nearly crippled her, but it was all for a good reason. She was determined to look absolutely to die for in her dress, especially considering who was going to be at the wedding, who had been invited, despite Laura’s protests otherwise.  
  
LaF was her roommate! We can’t not invite her, Laura. That would be entirely indecent. I’m sure you can avoid her for the day. Mhmmm. Good. That’s that then.  
  
Perry had almost convinced her. Almost. Just not quite. Laura wasn’t sure she could narrowly avoid Danny all day and all evening without having to speak to the redhead. Not that she wanted to. Not that she was pulling out all the stops to look amazing. Not that she wanted to rub it in her face that she was doing just fine without her. Because she was. Hands down. Hollis had this.  
  
She mentally reprimanded herself. What part of mutual separation wasn’t her brain latching on to? They weren’t in a good place; they’d drifted apart - was the old stomping grounds worth a revisit? Holy Hufflepuff, did that mean Danny was going to show up and be amazing?  
  
If she asked her to dance, Laura knew she was done for.  
  
Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she’d just busy herself with the bar, or the other guests, or their mutual friends from college, or maybe she’d bring a date… Laura stopped there. Was she bringing a date? Should Laura have brought a date? Was there even a plus one on her invitation?  
  
She spent several minutes racking her brain trying to remember what was written on the beautifully designed card LaF had sent out to Danny when a familiar hand gripped her shoulder. She looked up to an even more familiar grin.  
  
“Kirsch!”  
  
“Little nerd hottie!”  
  
Jumping into a hug, the tall man lifted her up into a bear hug, then set her back down on her feet at her immediate protests that he would disrupt the fabric of the dress she’d just managed to get under control.  
  
He laughed and held her out at arm's’ length.  
  
“Wow, little hottie, you’re looking extra spicy! Lawrence isn’t going to know what’s hit her!”  
  
Did everyone know Danny was coming? Laura smiled, shaking her head, still happy to see the giant goon despite his reference to her previous partner. She straightened out the dicky bow on his collar and brushed down his lapel before her hands went on her hips and she grinned at her handiwork.  
  
“You’ll do, I suppose. Do I have the pleasure of your company to walk down the aisle?”  
  
“That you do, little lady. No hottie is going unchaperoned to this wedding, not until SJ gets here and then you’re on your own.”  
  
He winked and ribbed her with his elbow. He had been seeing SJ since they’d left college, which for Kirsch was a long time. They were even planning on moving in together. It had got serious finally - it had only taken four years. Time had a tendency to stop around them.  
  
“Summer Psycho said she’s looking forward to seeing you.”  
  
Laura swallowed. She loved Kirsch and his uncanny ability to give life to the elephant in the room.  
  
“I know. It’ll be fine,” she nodded, convincing no one.  
  
Kirsch shoved a bit of pancake in his mouth and spoke around it. “She’s asked about you.”  
  
Oh, just make her feel worse! She gripped her bottom lip between her teeth, about to say that it really didn’t matter if Danny was going; that it really didn’t matter that she was going to see her former girlfriend probably looking amazing. Why was this so hard? What if Danny did want to go over old ground? Her bedroom was an absolute state...  
  
The door behind them swung open and LaF stepped out, wearing the tux, waistcoat and bowtie they’d picked up the day before from the tailors. They looked so dapper and wonderful, Laura could feel herself choking up at the sight of her friend looking immensely nervous for the first time since all the planning began.  
  
There they were, the three of them, standing in Laura’s apartment, ready to escort LaF into the next stage of life.  
  
“So, what do you guys think? Too much? The dicky is too much, isn’t it? I should go change…”  
  
Laura grabbed Laf’s hand and pulled them back into the kitchen, straightening out the bowtie as she had for Kirsch, brushing down their shoulders and finally stepping up on her tiptoes to kiss LaF’s forehead gently, careful not to admonish the redhead with lipstick.  
  
“I’m just glad you match my dress. Imagine how awkward that would be, eh?”  
  
They laughed, Kirsch patting LaF on the back of the shoulders and Laura trying to contain herself for the ceremony. She had tissues stashed in every place she could. She was going to need them.  
  
A horn beeped outside and Kirsch looked out of the window down at the vintage cream Rolls Royce pulled up onto the sidewalk on the street below. Big enough for the three of them to fit in the back of and ride happily to the manor house, with enough time to spare for LaF to continue worrying about everything there instead.  
  
“Time’s up, nerds! Let’s get this party started!”  
  
LaF gulped audibly and Laura shook her head, resting her hands on their shoulders, giving her friend a supportive look that she hoped conveyed everything she wanted to say, without having to say it, not that she wouldn’t.  
  
“You look wonderful. We’re going to go downstairs, get in that car and get your ass married to the love of your life today,” Laura could be encouraging, honestly. “Have you got the rings?”  
  
A look crossed LaF’s face and they started patting the pockets of the vest and jacket frantically, eyebrows knitting together and lips being bitten, jaw shaking slightly.  
  
Laura shook her head again and tapped them on the nose.  
  
“No, you don’t, because you’re not carrying them, Kirsch is,” she admonished, directing their vision to the beefcake hanging out of the window, with a familiar looking box shaped jacket pocket. “See? Everything is fine.”  
  
LaF nodded and took a few deep breaths before leaning into Laura, wrapping their arms tight around their best friend and squeezed.  
  
“What would I do without you, Hollis?”  
  
“Wear a purple tux, probably,” Laura replied, laughing as she slid her hand into LaF’s and pulled them towards the door. “Kirsch! Close the damn window!”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Are We Nearly There Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bridal party is getting ready and LaF et al is on their way, at least Carmilla hopes they are.

Getting in before the bridal party arrived was one of the perks of being part of the wedding planner’s coterie of workers. Carmilla adjusted the lens on her camera and took a few snaps of the Grand Hall as white drapes and flowers were being hung and decorated. It looked like a fairytale castle - nothing like it had when she was growing up. The large staircase in the centre of the hall was going to be pivotal in the photographs later - the wedding party had specifically requested the use for their group photos. She could really see why. 

The phone in her pocket started to ring, disrupting the silence of the moment she was enjoying. She slipped it out and pressed the answer slider. 

“Sister, dear? What can I do for you?”

Mattie was in conversation with someone else on the other end of the line, before she turned her dramatic lilt to Carmilla. “Aren’t you meant to be with the bridal party?”

Carmilla blinked. Shit.

“Yes, I’m going now… Mattie - Mattie... “ 

The other end of the phone had turned into a play between Mattie tirading at her sister for running late, more like getting distracted, and not being where the schedule of works specifically had her down for. How could Mattie keep track of everyone if Carmilla was on the loose somewhere? Carmilla held the phone away from her ear as Mattie continued, until she distinctly heard her name. 

“I’m going, I’m going. Calm down. I’m sure they’ve not even started yet.”

She hung up the phone, feeling that it would be better to get on with her job now and she could fear the wrath of her sister later. There was time for her to get chewed out, when in all honesty the bridal party would already be getting ready, and may even have had a few glasses of champagne by the time she got up to their room. 

Picking up the tripod, she lugged the thing up the familiar grand staircase and through the hallway to the large bedroom that had been converted into a honeymoon suite. She knocked on the door politely and waited until one of the most flustered young women she had even seen opened the door and ushered her inside. 

True to form there were several bottles of champagne on the side table and several glasses that were now empty. The flustered young women poured Carmilla a glass and handed it to her, still ushering her into the main part of the suite to where the bride was getting ready. 

A mass of curly red hair descended down the back of a woman wearing a bathrobe, about ready to have her make-up done. Carmilla set the tripod and glass down, slinging her camera around to the front of her to snap a quick side shot of the bride, pursing her lips with a slight frown on her brow. 

The sound of the camera snapped Perry out of her reverie and she smiled widely as she looked to the photographer, standing up immediately and wrapped Carmilla in a gentle hug.

“Oh my, I’m so glad you’re here. I’m not sure how much of this I can take.”

Carmilla smiled and winked. “Have no fear, the photographer is here. You just be your gorgeous self.”

Perry chuckled and sat back down on the bed, allowing Carmilla to grab a few more shots, from a few different angles before she started speaking again. 

“I’ve prepared everything meticulously, then Matska comes and puts me to shame. Completely puts me to shame!”

Adjusting the lens again and crouching down this time to get a good angle, Carmilla exhaled a laugh at the notion of Mattie taking control and Perry slowly losing it day by day until the ceremony. 

“You know my beloved sister. If she wasn’t going to plan this wedding, no one was. Hold still for me…”

Perry accepted a glass of champagne from the flustered young woman, who it seemed had a permanent grasp on the champagne bottle, before she took a drink, Carmilla capturing the moment in it’s simplicity. Shots of the bride getting ready were always a hit with the wider family who couldn’t be there to enjoy the time spent getting ready. Seeing the transformation in pictures was magical. 

As everything relaxed, the make-up artist took over Perry’s space and started to get her ready. Carmilla captured a few shots of the process and the same for all the bridesmaids as they got ready for the day - especially a really good shot of all the bridesmaid dresses and shoes hanging in a line with the wedding dress in the centre. It looked beautiful as the light came in through the windows illuminating it, radiating beams of red and white all over the room. 

Within an hour, all were ready for the day that was going to be in the forefront of Lola’s photo album for a long time coming. Carmilla waited patiently for the bridal party to group together, taking action shots as they descended the beautifully carved staircase. 

As she began to load an extra memory card into the camera, the red headed bride touched Carmilla’s arm, a look of worry crossing her features, her teeth chewing on her red tinted bottom lip.

“Do you know if they’re here yet? I can’t see their car.”  


\-----

“Seriously, stop shaking. You’re making me nervy.”

Laura stopped her foot from bouncing off the floor of the car and instead turned around to look at the driver sitting in the front seat. She had a wonderful view of the road stretched out in front of them, cars packed up, nose to bumper, traffic denser than they had anticipated. The blonde checked her watch, the time creeping up on them faster than she had liked it to.

“What’s taking so long?” Kirsch asked, his usually calm demeanour infectious as he moved to look over Laura’s head and out of the windscreen. 

“There’s nothing to worry about, everything is fine,” Laura replied, as though trying to calm herself. 

For a moment, it seemed to work as the tiny human turned back around on the backward facing seat and gave LaF a smile she had practised for those situations where a negative response was not the best to give. It didn’t fool her friend, however. LaF raised a cautious ginger eyebrow. 

“You know you’re short, right? I can see right over your head,” they said, matter of factly, eliciting a tiny and apologetic smile from Laura, as well as a slight laugh from Kirsch. “We better call Perry.”

“NO!” Laura responded, a little too quickly and loudly even for her. “I mean, no, everything is fine. We’ll be there shortly. There’s no need to panic. We’ve got a towel.”

Kirsch frowned. “Dude, what do we need a towel for?”

“You know… Don’t panic!” LaF tried to explain, using a variety of hand signals. “Always carry a towel in case of emergencies.”

The look on Kirsch’s face hadn’t changed, instead the confused look he had remained as he turned to look at LaF, “Seriously, dude, Perry will murder us.”

“Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,” Laura explained, as though it were the simplest thing she had ever had to do. 

Several long minutes turned into several long more minutes, with Laura’s foot starting to bounce on the floor of the car again. LaF blew a sigh and ran their hand through their short hair, realising quite late that the gel in it wasn’t fully dry. Laura pulled a towel from her bag and handed it to LaF, quite proud that the old adage had turned out to be quite true. 

They waited more, got excited as the car started to move, then disappointed as the car slowed to a stop again. It didn’t look promising. Laura pointedly avoided looking out of the window, in case it worked like watching a kettle boil. If she didn’t see the lack of movement, it wasn’t happening. Her level of delusional was bordering on the level of Perry’s. 

“Perry is going to be so mad,” Kirsch shook his head, letting the back of his head rest on the back of the car seat. 

“You’re going to have to ring her,” LaF agreed with a nod of the head to reinforce the point. 

“Why me?!” Laura replied, her eyebrows shooting up to almost join her hairline. 

“Because she’s going to be worried and you’re good at talking her down,” LaF said with a pleading smile. The last thing they wanted to do was call the bride-to-be and have her burn down the venue before they got there. 

Laura rolled her eyes, accompanied by a huge sigh, opening up her shoulder bag and digging around for her mobile phone in the cavernous sack that could double for the Tardis. 

Pulling out her mobile from the denizens of her rucksack, Laura beamed with all the grace of a woman who totally had this, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt. Perry wouldn’t have to worry, she had promised her at the party months ago, Laura would make sure everything went as smoothly as it could, barring natural disaster or invasion of vampires, but that wasn’t incredibly likely. She dialled a few numbers, then put it to her ear. 

\-----

Carmilla lined up another photo, this time of the bridesmaids on the staircase showing off what their mothers gave them. The dark haired photographer was never one to pass up an opportunity and had been in mostly constant eye contact with the shorter and blonder of the two women. She couldn’t remember her name, not for the life of her, and didn’t particularly want to ask it again, it would seem rude. She was cute, in a roundabout way, nothing too obvious, or maybe it was the champagne. She made a mental note to ask for her number later in the evening before the drinks flowed too freely. 

A chirping sound caught her attention and she wrapped up the photos for a minute, looking around the room until she found Perry’s phone sitting happily on a side table next to the redhead’s glass of sparkling. Carmilla looked up, finding the woman locked in intense conversation with Mattie regarding something or other, so she slid across the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Perry!” the voice on the other end of the phone exclaimed loudly, causing Carmilla to hold it away from her ear for a second to get the feeling back in her brain. “Perry? You there?”

“I’m not…” she started, and didn’t get to finish the sentence.

“Listen, we’re stuck in traffic, it’s nothing major, we’ll be there soon”, the voice continued, as though Carmilla hadn’t said a word. The torrent of feminine vocal chords didn’t sound familiar. “I haven’t got a time, stood still right now but hopefully it will start moving soon!”

“I’ll let her know,” Carmilla replied, wondering who owned the exasperated mile a minute soundtrack, and about to ask when there was some kind of scuffling on the other side of the phone. Then Carmilla heard another voice calling out of the void, one that she distinctly recognised immediately. 

“Carmsexy! We’ve got LaF!” 

It was Kirsch. That was definitely Kirsch and that meant LaFontaine was going to be late. The dark haired girl let her face drop into one of her hands. Shit. Shit. Shit. This wasn’t good. She rubbed her eyes with her thumbs and pinched the bridge of her nose. More importantly she no wished she hadn’t now picked up the phone and be the one to tell Perry the good news. 

“You’ve got LaF and you’re going to be late,” Carmilla sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose a little harder. “Great, thanks for th-”

“LAURA!”

An ear-piercing shout resounded from the other end of the phone, undoubtedly coming from her ginger friend. 

“We’re moving,” came the response from the Laura. “Don’t tell Perry anything, we’ll be there soon! Hopefully! I really hope we will...”

The line went dead and Carmilla was left standing at the bottom of the staircase holding a mobile and not quite sure what had just transpired. She was still standing semi-still when the white dressed redhead shook her arm, jolting her out of a momentary shutdown. Carmilla handed the phone over to Lola with a shake of her head.

“You definitely strayed on the wrong side of Crazy Town when you found those friends.”

Lola blinked, “I don’t think I quite understand what you mean, but I don’t have the time to think about it right now. Any word from LaFontaine?”

Carmilla debated, for a full nanosecond, whether to say they were running late or not. In her estimation, Lola would panic. By the time LaF and crew arrived, she would be climbing the walls and spitting fire in all directions. The raven haired photographer wasn’t about to start dealing with that demonic nightmare. 

“I’m sure they’re on their way,” she replied, with a reassuring smile that reassured no one.


	3. Are You a Sky Full of Stars?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding ceremony gets underway and a couple of eyes meet across a crowded room. 
> 
> Edit: just in case anyone wants the song, it's A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp7NtW_hKJI

When LaF and crew finally arrived, Carmilla had managed Perry as much as she could, with a lot of help from Mattie. The fallout from being over forty-five minutes late had been swift and just, with Lola’s seemingly never ending tirade of reasons why she had left instructions for getting out of the apartment on the fridge and her predictions that this very thing would have happened, and may have been later, if she hadn’t prepared for this exact eventuality.

Conversely, it was tantamount to sickening to watch Perry look at LaF as though they were going to melt through the floor and immensely heart-warming for all who were there to witness it.

Carmilla was summoned immediately into the dining room, all set with decorations, camera out and ready to start snapping pictures. She took the opportunity to get a few photographs of the guests as they waited, talking amongst themselves, sitting patiently. Some of Curly Sue’s family had small children, running between the aisles, patient parents ready to snap them up at a moment’s notice.

The raven haired girl smiled widely as her friend stood on the raised platform at the end of the corridor aisle created by the white chairs. The short ginger hair stuck in many directions, eyes darting around the room as though this was a situation to be wary of rather than to be happy in, but the smile was the one thing that betrayed the rest of them. LaFontaine was deliriously happy and Carmilla could see it.

And part of her wanted that feeling again.

The band had finished setting up at the back of the room. She approached them, snapping a few photographs of the setup, the bandmates and the lead singer about to give the nod to start the song off. He waved her over, adjusting the microphone to his height as she did so.

“Looks like a good crowd,” Will said, a cheeky grin at the corner of his mouth.

“Stick to the playlist, flyboy,” Carmilla replied, narrowing her eyes playfully at her brother. “You’ll get your chance to go all rockstar later.”

He rolled his eyes in response. “You think too ill of me, big sister. All is well in hand, I assure you.”

His eyes scanned the room before they landed back on Carmilla, raising his dark eyebrow slightly.

“How’s Matska?”

“Crazy as always,” Carmilla replied, checking the lens clip on the front of the camera. “She’s on a high right now, wait until she’s knee deep in the champagne later.”

Will nodded, fully aware of just how tightly wound Mattie could get when everything was going to plan, let alone when it wasn’t. She could be incredibly hedonistic when the mood took her, throwing off the shackles of an oppressive work structure and dragging her little sister off into the world for some well needed pleasurable life. It wasn’t unknown for them to be found in Paris, in Milan, Florence or Moscow, revelling in being alive. Carmilla was thankful for that when her ex decided to leave.

Thankfully, that whole battleship of nutcase wasn’t going to be coming back any time soon.

“Any word from mother?” Will asked, with a trepidation that wasn’t usually found in his voice. “Any idea what she’s been up to?”

Now it was Carmilla’s turn to roll her eyes, which she did, with gusto. She looked over her shoulder, aware that the woman wasn’t in the room with them, despite making a show of looking like she might have been.

“Gee, Will, I don’t know, hanging upside down from someone’s rafters?” she ribbed her brother with her elbow. “She’ll be in touch soon, probably when the whole new boyfriend thing wears off. Don’t worry.” She grabbed his chin, smushing his lips together. “Mummy will be home soon.”

“Ha ha,” he replied, sarcastically, shaking her hand off him. “Buy me a beer after?”

She rolled her eyes, again, and moved away from the band as the piano started, hearing Will’s voice start to join in, a guitar joining shortly after, signalling the start of the ceremony.

Carmilla glanced at LaF and gave them a reassuring smile, a quick nod of the head, a signal that it was all fine and there wasn’t a hellmouth about to open in the centre of the floor. Her foot started to tap on the ground as she lined the camera up, ready and waiting.

_'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars_  
_I'm gonna give you my heart_  
_'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars  
_'Cause you light up the path__

The double doors at the end of the dining room opened and the procession started, their friends walking in pairs down the makeshift aisle towards the raised platform. Carmilla lined up her shot for their shared friends Betty and her husband; Betty in the dress reserved for the Bridesmaids, her husband in the coat and tails picked out to match LaF’s suit. All the colours collided through her lens, blending together to produce some wonderful pictures. Smiles all around.

However, as Kirsch started to enter from the rear of the room, Carmilla looked down the lens, lined up her shot and felt her heart stop in her chest.

_I don't care, go on and tear me apart_  
_I don't care if you do, ooh_  
_'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars  
_ _I think I saw you_

An arm tucked neatly into Kirsch’s, honey hair flowing down her shoulders and the brightest smile it danced and infected everyone else. She was greeting everyone as she walked down the aisle, taking care to stay in step with Kirsch even if she did walk a little bit faster than he did, pulling herself back, probably nerves. Carmilla swallowed and mentally kicked herself to start taking photographs before they were crossing the threshold line.

She snapped some, a few different poses, the honey haired girl not noticing the photographer, trained exceedingly well to stay in the background and keep everyone as natural as possible. She turned the camera on Kirsch as they parted ways and watched the girl take her position beside LaF on the platform.

Who was she?

_'Cause you're a sky, 'cause you're a sky full of stars_  
_I wanna die in your arms_  
_'Cause you get lighter the more it gets dark  
_ _I'm gonna give you my heart_

She watched, the honey haired girl’s eyes lingering a little long on a redhead seated with the guests, her smile growing slightly at the corners. The redhead smiled back. Carmilla hadn’t seen her before either. Were they together? The thought tugged a little at the heart strings inside her chest, the feeling a little too familiar. It washed over her and for a moment she felt a little sad; sad at the possibility that this beautiful girl could have a partner, that she could have a girlfriend and it would be the lanky Amazonian she had seen walking around in the entrance hall earlier.

She didn’t have a patch on Xena.

_I don't care, go on and tear me apart_  
_I don't care if you do, ooh_  
_'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars_  
_I think I see you  
I think I see you_

The feeling couldn’t last long as the chorus started to play and the sight at the double doors was definitely heavenly. Her old friend, Perry, dressed in a beautifully flowing gown, hair perfect, a smile gracing her face as she walked into the room, her arm tucked into her father’s, the epitome of wonderful. Carmilla grinned as she took the pictures, getting smiles and laughter, watching through the lens.

She was able to pinpoint the moment that Lola and LaF saw one another, snapped it and turned the camera to LaF. Their smiles grew wider, it danced in their eyes. Love of this kind was everlasting and so incredibly hard to find. Carmilla turned the camera back to Perry and smiled herself seeing the nervousness that invaded her friend’s grin, the way she dropped her gaze slightly and bit her lip before looking back up, the joy of the moment so hard to capture in pictures, the problem with being a photographer and trying to convey all this love through the device so they could relive it all afterward.

_'Cause you're a sky, you're a sky full of stars_  
_Such a heavenly view  
You're such a heavenly view_

Lola stopped at the platform, kissing her father on his cheek as he patted her arm, giving the redhead a hug, tears pricking at his eyes. LaF took Perry’s hand as she stepped up, nodding in acknowledgement at her soon to be father-in-law. Carmilla smiled to herself, looking over at the honey haired girl who was…

\-----

....looking back at her.

Laura had barely said a word to anyone since running in from the wedding car with LaF in tow, pushing them up through the aisle and promising, in no uncertain terms, that she would be back in no time and this was not a big deal, it was just their wedding, it was going to be a piece of cake. Finding Kirsch afterward had been the hard part, as he seemed to have found Sarah Jane quicker than she thought he would and they were already mid argument.

She had seen Danny, who had come over to say hello before all this as they had got out of the car. She hadn’t said much, simply to say she was there, and that they could catch up afterward at the reception. Laura had agreed, although in hindsight she wasn’t exactly sure why. Her stomach had started doing backflips at the thought of spending time with Danny, even if it was just a drink.

Whether that was a good thing or not, she wasn’t sure.

Then she had seen the redhead again, only this time she was sat amidst the gathered guests, looking as lovely as ever, watching her. She had smiled back, held her gaze for a few moments and then moved onto something else. Laura felt that was quite an accurate representation of their relationship. Maybe having a drink with her wouldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe they could survive some civil and pleasant conversation.

Oh god, what if she wanted to come home with her?

Her mind raced at a million miles an hour, thinking of all the possibilities a smile from Danny and the prospect of having drinks together really meant.

But, then she had noticed the raven haired photographer. She’d noticed her being summoned into the dining hall and noticed when she had started taking pictures of her and Kirsch walking down the aisle. She had noticed the little smile at the corner of her mouth when she had seen Lola coming into the room and she had to admit she found it terribly charming. Her heart lurched a little when she watched the beautiful woman smile grow wider as the ceremony started.

And now she was standing there, camera in hand, looking at Laura, eyes glinting. Smiling.

_'Cause you're a sky, you're a sky full of stars_  
_Such a heavenly view  
You're such a heavenly view_

Her knees went weak.

The floor could open wide and swallow her hole. She had piercing eyes that hit her chest like an arrow finding the bullseye.

She watched as the photographer raised the camera up, pointing in her direction, and pressed the trigger. She couldn’t hear the snap, the entrance music was far too loud for that, but she heard her heart thump in her ears and swore that it was in sync. As she lowered the camera, the smile was still there. Laura couldn’t help but return it, biting her lip gently, feeling her cheeks flush pink.

Then Lola was standing with them, taking hold of LaF’s hand as they ascended up the platform, both of them looking more radiant and happy than Laura had seen in so long. She had seen the dress her friend had chosen, but seeing it flowing from Perry’s figure was something else entirely. It stopped in the middle of her shins, showing off the presence of the underskirt and the beautiful heels beneath, looking like she had just been lifted from a Fifties Brides magazine edition.

The band finished the song to a resounding clap from the guests and all stood up.

Someone cleared their throat loudly and Laura realised it was the officiator, ready to start the proceedings, her attention snapping back to the present moment and, more importantly, her friends about to make the biggest step in their lives to date.

“To all who are gathered here today…”


	4. Pull a Pose, Take a Picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pictures are always a necessity at weddings, if only to show the grandchildren the horrific dresses that were fashionable.

The ceremony had ended with thunderous applause from all who had attended, a standing ovation in the seats, finishing with LaF and Lola walking hand in hand down the centre aisle toward their new life together. Life was perfect. 

Laura couldn’t help feeling more than a little emotional as the vows were exchanged, remembering the words, very happy that the whole thing was recorded for posterity, in case she wanted to look back on this without the watery film that had covered her eyes. She’d gripped onto Kirsch as they followed the happy wedded couple out in the beautiful sunshine of the summer day. 

The photographer was, obviously, following them too. 

The redheaded couple, deliriously happy, posed for pictures while Laura hung back, watching them shift into various positions to accommodate. They had ideas of their own, some ones that reminded her of their first few years in university, others from famous movies they had all watched together, and others just to look at one another with wide smiles and revel in their happiness. 

Laura watched the photographer as she moved, dropping down to one knee to get a particular good shot, or move with the light to capture how it came through the white of Perry’s dress or glinted off LaF’s suit buttons. She watched her. Dark curls dropped down the photographer’s white back, looking stark against her white shirt, tucked neatly into black pants, legs that didn’t want to quit.

Then, she was looking at Laura. Really deep eyes. Really looking. 

“See something you like, cupcake?”

And… was she speaking? She had beautiful lips; a crimson red stark against her skin. 

“Earth to Laura!” LaF called, waving an arm in her direction. 

The honey-haired girl blinked a few times, not quite sure what was going on until she looked back to the beautiful girl, standing with the camera in her hand, one hip out to the side, a slight grin on her ruby lips. 

Holy Hufflepuff, her heart couldn’t thump any louder.

“Sorry! Total space cadet,” she replied, laughing despite feeling a little ridiculous. Red tinged to her cheeks and she was sure that they were heating up. “No idea where I went then. Where do you want me?”

The photographer pursed her lips for a moment, as though that question held a lot more meaning than Laura was imbuing it with. It was getting hotter in there. She was sure. Oh, they were outside. It was getting hotter outside. She had a gas heater warming the inside of her dress. 

She’d need one stiff drink, maybe a couple, and an ice-cube. Images of the girl with the ice-cube did nothing to quell the torrent of thoughts floating through her mind. She willed the photographer to speak before she melted into a puddle. 

“Jump in with them and we’ll see what happens,” the dark haired girl instructed, checking the lens on her camera… was that a touch of pink on her cheeks?

Laura joined her friends, LaF shaking their head at the obliviousness of their nerd, and pulled her in by her arm between the newly weds. Again, they pulled a few poses, some pouting lips and others with just LaF and just Perry. With all the celebration was the hint of sadness that this would be the last time the three would be together for the next few weeks as the couple went on their honeymoon, despite protests that Laura could have very easily joined them. In a separate hotel, of course. 

“Oh, we need to do the pictures on the staircase!” Lola exclaimed, her hand going to cover her chest then clapping her hands quickly. “Carmilla, do you mind if we do them now? After the cake may not be such a good idea.”

So, that was her name. Laura looked at the Carmilla - the name suited her. Dark and foreboding, like a kiss at midnight from lips far too pretty and red to be real. Far too involved in the camera to notice her staring, Carmilla nodded and straightened up, LaF hitting Laura’s arm with the back of their hand. 

“Head in the game, crushes-on-photographers,” her friend smirked knowingly while the other two conversed quickly. “Roll your tongue back into your head.”

Laura rolled her eyes skyward, still baking in her dress. She would look like a cupcake by the end of the day. She felt spongy enough. 

“Shush!” she swatted LaF in retort. “And I’m not crushing. She’s just a bit moodier than I expected her to be.”

“She’s recently out of a relationship,” LaF said quietly. “Perry thinks it tore her up pretty badly. She baked her like a million brownies in trade for a hefty vodka stash.”

The woman wore it, Laura could see it moulded to her. It was a familiar shape, she’d tried it on for herself, but it just didn’t fit. She couldn’t live in the guise of someone who just didn’t care. No, she cared far too much for the likes of Lawrence and that, in itself, was enough to cause the young cupcake-lover to cringe. The threads were still raw, despite all the believing she wanted to have on the contrary. She knew it would only be time until her fortune ran out and she would need to converse with less looks and more words. 

Laura watched as the raven haired woman moved around LaF and Perry, moving between shots of radiance that set them apart from everyone else. She didn’t interfere, she just let them make their magic with looks and shy kisses and spry moments of sheer happiness, captured in the flash of a camera. 

This would need to play. A story needed an ending, after all. She couldn’t let hers and Danny’s be one of the many and untold that crowded the shelves of nobody. There were chapters there, unwritten and admonished with tears, forever welcome into oblivion for the sake of it. She wanted to read the epilogue, and close the book, but the bookmark was always shifting pages. A love that couldn’t be, but had tried, and will try again before the night was out. 

Then, she felt something on her hand. 

 

____

 

Carmilla, with ringlets in her hair and the camera pointed nowhere in particular, set her hand on the banister of the grandiose staircase and felt something clearly not wood beneath. She jerked her hand away as the flesh did the same. Laura turned sharply on the staircase, her heels rocking beneath her feet too use to being clad in sneakers, and promptly started to sway. Sensing there was going to be no good ending to this if she didn’t intervene, Carmilla pushed back on the young woman’s stomach and steadied her into position. 

Sensing the hands, Laura stepped one foot back to give herself some steady space and breathed. The short tumble to the bottom of the stairs wouldn’t have been pleasant, even in the fluffy dress that would surely have broken the fall and stopped the broken bones. She huffed as she stopped swaying and placed her hand back on the banister rail for support. So much for graceful. 

“Hold up there, cupcake,” Carmilla said, wry grin and all. “No need to fall for me just yet.”

“Oh come on,” Laura said, quite unaware it was aloud. “You got nachos to go with that cheese?”

The grin from Carmilla didn’t diminish, instead she sidestepped the honey haired girl and adjusted the camera lens, looking down into the eye every few modifications. The white teeth glinted underneath crimson lips, pale skin underneath her white shirt, the strap of the camera hanging from her neck and just tugging downward enough. 

“No, I didn’t provide the food too,” Carmilla retorted, with not a trace of sarcasm. “I was lining up a shot; you stood in the way. I didn’t notice you’d moved.”

“Well, I did,” Laura said, again no hint of annoyance lacing the tones. “You should look where you’re going, staircases can be fatal.”

Making a show of it, Carmilla looked behind them to the three foot drop that lay at the bottom of three very expansive treads, then over the banister at the equally unexciting chasm. She cocked an eyebrow, then the corner of her lips angled upward in a glint of a smile, then she looked back down to her camera and began adjusting again. 

An arm latched around Laura’s waist and she was dragged, up off the floor and into the air, by an arm definitely more muscular than she remembered any woman’s to be. A scratchy face leaned into her cheek and smacked her with a slobbery but affectionate kiss as the arm set her back down on shaky heels between LaF and Lola. 

“GANG PICS! Come on, give me some sugar, show me that bootay!” Kirsch jumped up to the step just above theirs and reached his long arms around all three of his friends, complimenting the whole thing with a very wide grin.

It didn’t stop there. The oaf made sure he pulled a different face, different pose, different placement for each and every picture Carmilla managed to snap. It wasn’t long before LaF had joined, the pain of being far too serious for far too long starting to wear thin, and Lola jumped in alongside. Laura finally relented, though she did manage to throw some serious looks around at everyone else before doing so.

“You’re a natural, darling!” Carmilla coaxed, holding the camera steady as she started to laugh, the rest of them doing the same as the poses became more and more ridiculous.


End file.
